Beachmere Australias most Unfriendly Town
 

Have been traveling all over Australia for past twelve months and have located what I perceive to be the countries most unfriendly town. Beachmere a little township near Bribie Island Queensland. Pub, Bowls Club, Sports Club, Community Club,Lions Club, RSL Club, Seniors Club, Plenty of Clubs, all working against another, All and each warned me to stay away from the other Club for one reason or another, it was unbelievable. I was actually shunned as being an outsider. Possibly the worst were the the Lions and the RSL which should have welcomed a visitor (ex Lion ex Serviceman). Only group to show a stranger any consideration in Beachmere, was a small group from the Vietnam Veterans Center.

It was a sorry week spent and I could not recommend this town as a travel destination. Herton

I am really glad that you joined in order to post that comment.

And wouldn't it be interesting to hear both sides of that story!

Re Peter_S_Aus well we have to join sometime somewhere wait for more postings on unfriendly towns . Remember there is sometimes a black side to travel as well as a good side. You can post about great towns you visit, as I have also visited and these are the majority but have you the gumption to name those that treat you like an unwanted intruder. That is what a forum is for to explain and help others perhaps you can see my side now. Enjoy Europe .

Re di2315 All I can say is why don't you visit the town yourself everyone is entitled to an opinion. Enjoy the UK.

Heston, old son, take a look at this. I have seen a little of Aus. http://www.fodors.com/community/aust...-road-trip.cfm

So, Like me you have traveled, I'm impressed but our discussion is about one unfriendly town , have you been there and do have a comment on my subject, or have you any other unfriendly towns you may have encountered in Australia and might want to warn me/us about.Thanks for your interest.

From memory, Cocklbiddy was not all that flash. Ditto Balladonia

I found Terowie in South Australia a strange place. Perhaps not unfriendly, but rather a Deliverance, banjo’s duelling kind of place. I rode through there into a howling headwind, and was sufficiently unimpressed to ride a further 20 kilometres or so before camping.

The town was home to a busy staging camp during World War II, due to the break-of-gauge for the busy railway traffic going to Alice Springs and thus much of northern Australia.

Whilst transferring trains in Terowie on 20 March 1942, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur made his famous speech regarding the Battle of the Philippines in which he said: "I came out of Bataan and I shall return". He subsequently repeated the line "I shall return" in a number of other speeches, in a number of other places. The event is commemmorated by a plaque on the now disused railway platform.

And that's about the only town in Aus that I've not liked. Balladonia and Cocklebiddy don't really count as towns. Tennant Creek is not such a great place, either.

We all have places/memories like that Herston, and thanks for giving us a heads-up there. I have visited Bribie as well, many years ago, and I do remember the area being a little "awkward" in that it seemed more like Gods' Waiting Room rather than a sleepy hollow sort of place...I think the locals might have a bit of an attitude because the Gold & Sunshine Coasts basically steal their thunder (which the oldies don't really mind) but when a stranger comes to town, the citizens feel the need to point to the road back out of town real quick..like in the old westerns.
For my money, Narrogin in West OZ took some beating when it came to "there's-a-stranger-in-town, let's-string-him-up" attitude. Rustic, less-than-delightful and a great place to avoid..back then. It may have changed (I would hope so, anyway) since the '70s, but it was certainly not the most hospitable place on the planet.
Cheers mate.

I didn't like Wolf Creek much.

O.K...No one else will, so I'll bite.

Where the dickens is Wolf Creek, Paul..?

Cheers,

Rick
Cairns (but PNG, mostly)

Looking it up on IMDB will probably give you a good idea.

Thanks everyone for your opinions... we need to at least be warned by forums such as this one about unhappy' visits to Aussie towns as most of this country is unbeatable for friendliness... It is always a shock to find that you are not really wanted... The only other small town I found to be a little stand offish' was Yandina just north of Nambour.

However in fairness I must say most of that towns folk were friendly but their little RSL group was totally up themselves, not one handshake or even a word. You may have guessed by now that I like to visit RSL's being ex Service.

Well I'm out of the forums for a while due to hospitalization so see you all in July.... I'll be on the road again in August.. Happy Trails...

Wonderful idea that you are able to come up a good information that we will help individual.

I had quite the opposite experience when I visited. I was actually so impressed with the place, I recently sold up shop and am about to move there!

good for you, Amonsian. I hope that Beachmere turns out to be all that you believe it to be.

I just checked the OP's profile and as I'd guessed, his only contribution to Fodors so far has been to start this thread. he didn't even stop long enough to tell us what places he DID like. i'm sure that we've all got places that we wouldn't return to for one reason or another, but it was pretty weird to start a thread just to grumble about a place that no-one else had ever heard of, let alone been to.

I suspect that Beachmere is well off without him.